Friday, December 10, 2010

Embrace The Nausea

I gave one of my clients a homework assignment yesterday. I watched the somewhat pained look on her face as she scribbled it into her laptop and I smiled. I knew I had done my job. I asked her if it had made her nauseous. Her answer was yes. I told her that was a good thing.

Huh?
Yes, a good thing.

Nausea is a sign we are on to something. We avoid the feeling. The queasiness in our stomach, the spinning behind our eyes. When we feel it, our tendency is to step away. No make that run away. Far and fast. We no likey rough seas.

But I say no. I say step towards it. Open your arms to it. Embrace it.

If you're not nauseous you are treading water. A calm sea is pleasant and relaxing but there is not much movement. If you want to shake things up, if you want to step into whatever is next for you, personally or professionally, things are going to get rocky. The waves are going to hit and if you are like me and prone to seasickness you are bound to get nauseous.

I admit to being nauseous at least twice a day. I get a little nauseous every time I hit publish on a blog. But it's part of the journey I signed up for. That's why I say that change is not for the faint of heart.

If you're not the least bit nauseous chances are you are not growing. You may be OK like that, basking in the sun on a slow moving raft and throwing an occasional pebble in the water to create some movement.

But if you're not, if you want a real ride, with bumps and turns and challenges, the kind that gets you someplace new and different, someplace that you've been longing to go, expect nausea. Embrace it. Learn to see it as a good thing. A sign that you are on to something and it's most likely something really great.

Do you experience nausea when you are challenging yourself?Do you embrace it or do you run from it?Does the thought of nausea make you nauseous?

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One Woman’s Eye is a blog written, edited and maintained by Joanne Tombrakos. For questions about this blog please contact joanne@joannetombrakos.com

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